Our support team hear confessions from candidates all the time. Why do they drop out of applications? Why do they feel the need to call us up and ask for help? What complaints do they have about your candidate experience?
We asked Kelly - Manager of Jobtrain's Support Team - to record a couple of quick videos filling you in on the top reasons candidates might not complete your application. Here's what we learned!
Candidates don’t know when they’ll hear back
Jobseekers want to be informed about what happens next.
If you’re using an ATS, look at your automated emails and make sure they’re personalised and informative. Involve candidates at every stage of the process to keep up engagement.
Candidates want feedback
After an application or interview, candidates want to know what they did right and what they did wrong. Give them pointers! It means they’ll warm to you, your process, and your organisation, and they’ll tell others how great you are. Even if a candidate isn't right for the current role, they might be just what you need for a future vacancy. Informing them on how to improve next time - and then adding them to a talent pool - means they might smash the next interview and become a future colleague!
It's worth us noting that you can communicate with candidates straight from our applicant tracking system. It includes a full email suite and text editor as standard. You can create any number of email templates to send individually or automate in bulk. Add merge fields to personalise them and choose your own fonts and styles in the text editor for emails that drive engagement and stay on brand too.
Your application form is confusing
Have you ever applied for one of your jobs to see what it’s like for candidates? We had a call once where someone was being asked what their spirit animal was! The candidate thought it was some kind of prank! Think about how clear your application instructions are and if what you’re asking is relevant or even necessary.
Long application forms
Keep your application forms short and sweet. Long applications are a known deterrent and might even lead to potential applicants abandoning it halfway through. Our latest Candidate Insights Report learned that the average application form is under 15 minutes and candidates love it! If that doesn't sound like you, now might be the time to revisit some of those older application forms.
You’re not selling your company
Don’t just focus on the job or the role, focus on the people and the culture too.
Add branded content to your adverts, use pictures and videos of your colleagues. Some of the most successful recruitment campaigns we’ve seen use employee testimonials, so really make the most of your people!
If you want a laugh, just check out an example of one of our people videos below - featuring our Continuous Improvement Consultants - Jules!
Candidates don't know what to prepare or expect for an interview
We get this one a lot because of how excited and nervous people rightfully get about interviews. Put the name of the interviewer in the e-mail! Tell them a suggested dress code! Point out if they need to bring anything with them, like a copy of their CV. If a candidate’s confident, they’ll show the best version of themselves – and a cheeky phone call offering the interview goes a long way!
Did you know?
73% of candidates don't want a chatbot to help when applying for a job. We've all been there, stuck in the endless loop of automated messages with a robot when we just want to speak to a human. It's why our acclaimed support team is fully staffed with people. If you or your candidates need help, it'll be one of our experts on the other side!
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We recently launched a brand new TikTok and Youtube account, so if you aren't following us on there - click the links below for more quick tips, quizzes, and stats!